My Pretty PuzzleBox
by MendaciousMinx
Summary: Raven is dying. In order to help her Beast Boy must face a terrible, living scar from her past... a scar that wants him dead. Does he love her enough to put his life on the line? A tale of romance, daring, and murder. BBR.
1. Prologue

AN: Okay, I had this idea while I was home sick from school last week. I thought I'd run it by you to see how you like it, so tell me what you think.  
Pale fingers ran through dark purple hair as Raven lay in bed at one o'clock in the morning. She hadn't been able to stay asleep. The night had been an endless chain of one nightmare after another, each more horrid than the last. Every time she woke, sweating, in bed. Her face was hot, her eyes teary, and her limbs shaking as she twisted one hand in her sheets.   
  
She needed a glass of water.  
  
Yes, that was it. A nice, simple, refreshing glass of that cool, clear liquid would make it all go away. She was thirsty. That was all. For a moment she let that thought consume her. She let herself believe it, clinging to the scrap of comfort as though it was her lifeline.  
  
Raven swung her legs out from beneath the white sheets that were damp with her sweat. She sat up slowly, trying to ignore the stomach churning way that the room swam around her. Resting her weight on her feet, she pushed herself onto them entirely.  
  
Her ankles wobbled and gave way. As she slid to the ground, her head knocked against her dresser and she felt herself fall into unconsciousness.  
  
~*~  
  
Beast Boy heard a loud thump coming from Raven's room next door to his own. He sat bolt upright in bed, a concerned look flitting across his face. Climbing out of his spindly bunk bed, he raced out into the hall. He grabbed at the handle of Raven's door. Finding it unlocked, he entered.  
  
Raven's limp form lay on the floor next to her bed. The sheets were flung around her, seemingly having been dragged to the floor by her fall. She was facing away from him, but he knew by her lack of movement that she was unconscious. He strode quickly over to her, turning her gently onto her back.  
  
Raven's eyes were closed, long eyelashes adorned with glistening teardrops. Her face and body was covered with sweat, and her breathing was labored. Putting a hand to her forehead, Beast Boy jerked it back almost immediately. She was burning up!  
  
He felt the sheets, only to find that they were soaked with her sweat. That wouldn't do. He made sure Raven was in a comfortable position on the floor, and tore the sheets from the bed. Running downstairs, he tossed them into the laundry, grabbing a fresh set on the way back up.   
  
Beast Boy made the bed quickly, and only then realized that her leotard was soaked too. He couldn't do this. Turning again, he raced into Starfire's room. He whispered, shaking her awake. Star, come with me!  
  
Starfire groggily lifted her head, blinking owlishly at him. What. . .?  
  
I'll explain on the way. Come on! He half dragged Starfire to Raven's room, chattering nonstop on the way.  
  
So she is ill? Raven has a. . . what did you call it? Fever? Starfire asked as they were nearing Raven's room.  
  
Yeah, and I changed the sheets on her bed cuz they were really wet, but I need you to change her clothes cuz I'm a boy, and I can't do that, and she can't stay in a wet leotard cuz it'd be bad for her, and– Starfire clapped a hand over his mouth.   
  
I understand. Now leave! I must change her clothing.  
  
Beast Boy nodded meekly, slipping out of the room.  
  
A few moments later, Star slid through the door. All done, she said, nodding in the direction of Raven. You need to take good care of her till morning when we can ask Robin to get an appointment with one of your Earth doctors. She seems to be very ill.  
  
The green changeling nodded, and slipped past her into the room. Raven lay on her bed, wearing a loose white nightgown. Her leotard was in a crumpled heap in the corner, having been hastily discarded by a certain green-eyed alien.  
  
Beast Boy walked over to the telekinetic girl, biting his lip in worry as he watched one of her hands clench and unclench in the white fabric of the sheets. Placing a hand on the sleeping girl's forehead, he used the other to straighten the covers. Get better, Rae. . . Please, get better. . .  
  
Curling up next to her bed, holding one of Raven's feverish hands in his own, he fell asleep.  
AN: Well, let me know what you think. This is an experiment, so if you don't like it, I'll remove the fic from the net. Thanks for your input!


	2. In which Beast Boy is left home alone

AN: Okay! I got such a wonderful response for my first chapter, that I decided to continue for a while to see how it goes. So, without further ado, the second chapter.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning Raven awoke feeling as though she had been hit by a truck. Groaning, she tried to sit up, only to flop back down on the bed as dizziness overtook her. Feeling something on her hand, she peered over the edge of the bed.  
  
Beast Boy was curled up on the floor next to her, cradling her hand in his. She moved it fractionally, causing him to stir quietly, looking up at her with his forest green eyes.  
  
Beast Boy. . . she whispered hoarsely, coughing on her words. Beast. . . Boy. . . what's going. . . on? Massaging her throat with a hand, she looked to him for an answer.  
  
The green changeling bit his lip. Raven, are you feeling any better? I found you on the floor last night. You passed out or something.  
  
Raven blinked at him. She had passed out. . .? Then it all came back to her. The sleepless night, the thirst, the fall. . . She had been knocked out by the corner of the dresser. She grimaced at the thought of being so easily defeated by a clothing storage unit.  
  
Beast Boy asked anxiously, nudging her gently with the back of his hand. Rae? Do you need a doctor?  
  
She managed to give an understandible answer, Don't need. . . doctor. . . Water. . . thirsty. . .  
  
Beast Boy scrambled over to the bathroom connected to her room, filling her burgundy glass with tapwater. He produced a few fever-reduction pills from the medicine cabinet, as well.  
  
Rushing back to her side, he tried to hand her the water. One of Raven's hands made a futile attempt at taking the glass from him, but collapsed back onto the sheets. Here, I'll help you. Beast Boy slid one hand beneath her at the small of her back, and gently pushed her into a sitting position. Propping her up on pillows, he then brought the glass to her lips.  
  
Raven tilted her head back, opening her mouth slightly. Beast Boy poured some of the cool liquid past her parched lips, and she swallowed greedily. Popping on of the pills into her mouth, he poured another sip of the water down her throat. They repeated this until both pills were gone and the glass was empty.  
  
Starfire walked into the room soon after, followed by Robin and Cyborg. The three Titans walked over to Raven's bedside, worried expressions adorning their faces.  
  
Man, Rae, what happened? Cyborg asked, shaking his head sadly.  
  
Yeah, Raven, did you catch a bug? Robin cocked his head slightly, placing a hand on his hip.  
  
I do not understand why Raven would with to be capturing insects when in this condition. Obviously Starfire's words.  
  
It means did you get sick', Star. Robin said, turning his gaze to the Tamaranian girl.  
  
Oh. . . Starfire blushed slightly, her eyes flickering to the floor. I'm sorry.  
  
They turned their attention back to Raven as the fevered girl went into a coughing fit. Her body convulsed with each shuddering explosion, her already sore throat being ripped at mercilessly by the air coming sharply up through her body. Beast Boy clutched her hand, willing it to stop.  
  
When it finally subsided, Raven sank back into the pillows, her muscles, rigid with pain moments before, now slackened, relaxing in their exhaustion.  
  
Beast Boy led the others into the corner, telling them in a whispered tone to be as quiet as possible. She needs a doctor. Maybe not a doctor, but she needs help. She knows something about what's happening to her, and she's not telling us.  
  
Robin nodded. I agree with Beast Boy. She's hiding something. And she definitely needs help. The question is, what kind of help does she need?  
  
Perhaps she is needing the medical treatment'? Starfire said, cocking her head curiously.  
  
Cyborg gave her a blank look. Understatement. Of. The. Year.  
  
Star blinked up at him. I was not aware! Am I to receive an award?  
  
Robin placed his head in his hands. Star. It's a figure of speech.  
  
Starfire blushed for the second time that day. Oh. . . She wanted so badly to impress Robin. Why was it that whenever she spoke, she said something that humiliated herself or her friends?  
  
Beast Boy growled lightly. Well, I don't know about you guys, but I wanna help her! She needs a doctor, bad! Whether she likes it or not, she's gonna get one! We hafta go! Now! He turned to run out of the room, but stopped short when he felt a mechanical hand grasp his shoulder.  
  
Whoa there, little buddy. Cyborg looked tired and sad. There's something going on that we don't know. If she says she doesn't need a doctor, we aren't gonna get her a doctor. I don't think whatever she's got can be cured by a doctor, anyway.   
  
Beast Boy gazed at the rest of the group, barely suppressing a glare. What were they doing?! Raven was seriously sick. She could be dying! And they didn't care at all!  
  
Robin laid a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. It's not that we won't do anything. Far from it! We're going to investigate her usual hangouts to see if anyone there knows anything. We need to gather all possible information before we take action.  
  
The green changeling turned to walk out of the room and begin the search, only to be stopped again, this time by Star. You must stay here and care for Raven. She seems to trust you more than any of us. Try to get Raven to tell you what is happening to her. And who knows how bad this may be? You should remain here, in case it becomes worse.  
  
Beast Boy grudgingly nodded, and watched as his friends exited the room. He knew what they were doing. They didn't want him doing anything irrational. They knew he was emotionally involved.   
  
No matter how hard he tried, he never could keep anything from Cyborg. The two of them had been best friends since the day they met, and Beast Boy told the half-man everything. Trouble was, Cyborg couldn't keep a secret. No doubt the only reason Raven herself didn't know about his little crush was Robin's strict rule of secrecy.  
  
He whirled around when he heard something shatter behind him. His eyes widened when he saw the cause of the loud noise.  
  
The object of his affections was hovering three feet off of her bed. A sharp wind blew the sheets off of the mattress, and they plastered themselves to the wall. Objects were picking themselves up and becoming active missiles in the whirlwind surrounding the stationary girl. Her eyes were closed, and Beast Boy got a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
Raven was having a nightmare.  
  
~*~  
  
AN: Bum bum bum! Cliffy. I have NO IDEA WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS! I'm about as clueless as you can get. Any ideas are much appreciated.  
  
Bye the way, I know there are no knobs on the doors of Titan Tower, but I decided that it makes it much more dramatic (and easy to write) if there are. Also, I really didn't know what to call the black thing Raven wears other than a leotard. If you know, please contact me immediately. These quirks were brought to my attention by WereWolfHowl. A round of applause for the observant reviewer!


	3. In which the villain is introduced

A/N: I know, I know, a pathetic return after a long, long vacation. Still, it's something. I've finished it (finally), and I'll be posting a new chapter every Monday from now on until I wrap it up. This is the point, by the way, at which the story takes a drastic change for the gorier. Brace yourselves.

* * *

_"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." The voice came from everywhere at once. She couldn't hide. Where was she? The world was black. Had she gone blind? "Help me... someone help... can't see..." _

_"No one can help her. We found her. She's ours." The owner of the voice was obvious now._

_"Don't come any closer... you're dead... I killed you years ago..." Something ripped into her head. It was oozing something... not blood, but life. She realized vaguely that she may lose all the life she had left. 'Better than the alternative,' she thought. 'I don't want to be trapped here...' _

_"Aw, is the poor little girl hurt? Does she wish we were hurt instead?"_

_ "Yes, I do!" Raven cried, feeling the life being drained out of her._

_"Too bad," the voice taunted. Then, mocking Raven's voice, it said "We can't hurt anymore. We can't feel anymore." A high-pitched giggling ripped through Raven's head._

_"You got what was coming! If I'd left you alive, then--"_

_ "Then what?" the voice sounded angry now. "That precious human would be dead? He was going to die anyway, wasn't he Ravie? He did die, in the end. We were just making it quick for him."_

_ "He had a chance! You would've taken that chance away!" Raven was struggling against the oncoming blackness of death._

_"We had a chance too, didn't we? Ours didn't matter!"_

_ "You're a psychopath! You would've hurt more people! I did the world a favor!" _

_The voice became no more than a whisper. As it spoke, the source darted around, her speech always coming from a different direction. "That's what she wants us to believe... but she knows... she knows what really happened, doesn't she? She knows she killed us... she knows she wasn't in control... Murderer. She's a murderer, isn't she? Yes, she is. A murderer. Nothing more... nothing less... a murderer... Murderer... Murderer... Murderer..." A thousand voices echoed the chant as it escalated, growing in volume until it was ripping through Raven's already pounding head. She cried out in pain and frustration, but was powerless to do anything to quiet the mantra. The worst part was that it was all too true._

_Raven felt the darkness coming. The life was oozing out of her, and she was sinking. Falling away from the voice. The nausea that came with the loss of thought was fading, and being replaced by a buzzing in the back of her head._

* * *

Beast Boy rushed to the edge of the bed, fighting the telekinetic force that tried to tug him off the ground. He knew that if he let his feet leave the floor he'd be thrown into that swirling mass. 

Reaching up, he grabbed Raven's nightgown and pulled her out of the mini tornado. She suddenly began to convulse violently, writhing in his arms. He could feel her cold sweat against his skin. If he didn't get her to stop this, she might hurt herself.

He searched his mind frantically. What should he do? How could he stop this bad dream? Bad dream... His mother had always hugged him when he had bad dreams. Would it work?

It's worth a try, he decided, and clasped Raven tightly to his chest. Her struggling slowly stopped, and as she lay there in his arms, she began to cry softly. He held her tighter, stroking her hair gently and muttering soothing words under his breath. He felt her arms go around him as Raven buried her face in his shirt. He slowly rocked her back and forth. "It's all right. Don't worry Raven, it's gonna be okay."

* * *

_Raven was about to let go when she saw something in the dark. She cringed, thinking it was the Victim, but no wailing voice accompanied it. It was reaching for her, and she realized that 'it' was Beast Boy. His arms wrapped around her, and then he was pulling her back. Back to the surface of the black ocean she was drowning in._

_Something was wailing behind her. It was the Victim. Her plan had been foiled for now. Reaching the surface, she gasped for air, and Beast Boy held her to his chest, whispering to her. Softly, she began to cry._

* * *

The objects floated to the floor around them, settling in their rightful places as though nothing had happened. The shattered lamp repaired itself and came to rest on Raven's bedside table, and the sheets tucked themselves neatly around the mattress. Her crying faded, and her ragged breathing became the steady breaths of sleep. Pulling the covers down on her remade bed, he lay her on the mattress. As he pulled the sheets back up around her chin, he had the sudden urge to kiss her. Before he knew what he was doing, he had landed a butterfly kiss on her forehead and slipped out of the room.

* * *

A/N: So how's that for random, huh? Don't worry, a means to an end, a means to an end. Your reviews are still appreciated, by the way. 


	4. In which new allies are discovered

A/N: Yup. Next chapter is now. It's... odd. I'll have a summary at the bottom for anyone who didn't get it.

* * *

When Beast Boy reentered the room several hours later with Raven's lunch, she was still asleep. He set the sandwich and tea on her night stand in case she woke, and turned to exit once more. However, he could hear a soft voice coming from the opposite wall. An object in the corner of the room caught his eye. Moving toward it, he lifted the ancient mirror into his hands. 

It glowed red, the familiar black hand emerging to engulf him. He had been summoned.

* * *

Upon his rather abrupt landing on one of the large floating islands which made up the majority of the land masses in Raven's head, he looked up to find a yellow-cloaked Raven staring impatiently down at him. He stood, dusting himself off, as she adjusted her glasses. Finally, she spoke. 

"Been expecting you. Let's get moving."

She spun on her heel and marched off in the opposite direction. "Wait!" he shouted, catching up to her. "Why did you bring me here? Who-- Which one are you?"

"Knowledge. No more questions." she replied shortly.

The conversation, what little there had been, died. They continued in silence, Beast Boy noting the fact that they were about to enter a dimly lit corridor.

"Where are we going?"

"InnerWorkings."

"Where's that?"

"Frontal lobe."

"What's that?"

"Part of the brain."

"How's it work?"

Knowledge stopped and turned to him. "Generally, I'm a Facet of few words. I prefer thinking to actual speech. When I am forced by dire situations to make menial conversation, I minimize it as much as humanly possible. You are making that very difficult."

A red-robed Raven materialized beside Knowledge. She snarled at Beast Boy, stomping towards him angrily. "KnowItAll isn't allowed to get angry, so I'll do it for her. If you ask one more stupid question to which you needn't know the answer, I will introduce your eyeballs to your anus!"

Beast Boy blinked, rather taken aback by Hate's hostile display. "Didn't they, like, lock you up or something?"

"We did. Love broke her out." Knowledge continued to watch him blankly.

Now the green changeling was extremely confused. "But aren't Hate and Love, um, opposites?"

"Yeah," Hate growled venomously. "and also, unfortunately, very nearly joined at the fucking hip."

A violet-hooded head pushed up out of a vortex in the ground, arms following. "Hey there, everyone! I-- whoops!" She slipped back into the vortex a bit, and Knowledge reached down to pull her out. Hate just rolled her eyes disdainfully.

"Ah, much better, thank you SO much, whoever you are!" Love said delightedly, looking over Knowledge's shoulder. She then swiveled to look between Beast Boy and Hate. "Hello, who's here?"

Beast Boy blinked owlishly at the flamboyant girl before him. "Uh..."

"Don't mind her," snapped Knowledge, "she's blind as a bat." That said, she snatched Beast Boy's wrist and dragged him away from Hate and Love.

"What was that all about?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"Opposites attract."

"What?"

"Opposites. In this world, the strongest Facets--like Love and Hate, and Peace and Chaos--are drawn to each other. Hate hates Love, and Love loves Hate. Really simple. Stupidity follows me around sometimes, too."

Beast Boy paused. "Wait... Love loves Hate? Is there some sort of... lesbian thing going on here?"

Knowledge turned and stared at him as though he were the most shallow, incompetent thing she had ever seen. "Ever had a sibling?"

"No."

"Ever had a best friend?"

"Yeah, Cyborg."

"Do you have the desperate urge to ceaselessly shag Cyborg?"

"Ew!"

"It's like that."

Another awkward silence, as Beast Boy followed Knowledge further along the corridor. The dirt beneath his feet became white tile, the walls turning from stone to spotless plaster. Fluorescent lights gave the entire scene a very sterile look, which Beast Boy found unnerving. Every five or six feet, a door interrupted the otherwise blank hallway. "Where are we now?"

"InnerWorkings."

"Which part? 'Workings' is plural, so I'm assuming there's more than one."

She blinked at him. "What do you know, the monkey can think. Yes, my morphogenetic anomaly, there are quite a few. The exact number is in my files somewhere, but to obtain them we would have to venture into my office. I'm afraid that would be rather tedious for you, as I am told that the unlearned find learning excruciatingly dull. Currently, however, we are in the Mental Hospital."

Beast Boy took a moment to decipher what she had said, and decided to ask Cy later what 'morphogenetic' meant. "You mean, like a sanatorium?"

"No," she said patiently. "I mean like a hospital inside the mind. A 'Mental Hospital'."

"Ah." he muttered, though in truth he didn't understand at all.

A Raven clothed in white robes with large red crosses on the cloak and hood bustled up to them. "Hello, dears. Who are you here to see?"

"Hello, Empathy," Knowledge said in an almost-friendly voice, "we're here to see Memory, if she's well enough for visitors."

"Of course. She regained consciousness just a while ago, and she's been very lucid. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you." Empathy strode down the corridor until she reached one with a gold nameplate on it. As Beast Boy had by now expected, it read 'Memory'. "Wait out here a moment, I'll announce you." The nurse-Raven slipped through the door ahead of them.

"Does she care for the whole hospital by herself?" Beast Boy asked, in awe.

"And then some." Knowledge replied, glancing back up at the door.

Finally, Empathy came back out. "Memory will see you now."

They walked in to see a Raven clothed in pale blue lying on a hospital bed. She gazed at them wearily, her eyes barely able to focus on their figures.

"Hello, Memory," Knowledge said softly, sitting on the foot of the bed. "I wish I could be more subtle, but Beast Boy needs you to tell him what happened yesterday."

Memory's eyes widened, and her already pale face was drained of any color it may have still possessed. "I-- I-- NO!"

"You have to, Mem'ry. What happened? What happened to Raven? What happened to the Victim?" Knowledge's voice was soft, but her tone was demanding.

Memory's body slackened, and her eyes gained a faraway appearance. "You won't see out here." She held out her arms to Beast Boy, gazing faintly at him. "Follow me."

The green changeling stepped silently over to the distressed Facet, taking her hands in his own. She sighed contentedly, and the room faded around them. It was replaced by a dark, cold, stone dungeon. The walls stank of mold and something detestable he couldn't decipher. A morbid curiosity overtook him, and he transformed his nose into a dog's. He took an experimental sniff, before jerking his head back and becoming fully human again. Blood. That was the smell: human blood.

"Disgusting, isn't it?"

He glanced over to see Memory standing beside him. She had one hand over her eyes, and the other over her nose. "I won't watch, and I won't smell. I'll just show you. Pay attention, I'm not doing this twice."

Immediately, Beast Boy returned his attention to their surroundings. It was only now that he noticed the people chained to the walls. There were three of them, each suspended about five feet off of the ground by manacles. A steady 'drip, drip, drip' sound told him that at least one of them was bleeding. Looking closer at the girl in the middle, he realized with a jolt that it was Raven. Her face was stained with tears and blood, and her fingernails were ragged from clawing at the stone above her head. Her hands themselves were purple from lack of circulation, and the dripping sound came from her direction. Raven's mouth had been duct taped shut, to certify that she wouldn't be using her telekinesis any time soon.

He could hear something heavy being dragged down a flight of stairs, and soon enough a young man was flung onto the stone floor. He staggered to his feet, one arm broken, staring around frantically. Beast Boy would have rushed forward to help, but he saw the man's gaze pass straight through him and knew it would be useless.

Slow footsteps were coming down the stairs now, and their owner appeared soon after. It was a girl, perhaps in her early twenties. Her hair was black and long, falling unkempt to her waist. Pale skin peered out from beneath it, and eyes the color of dried blood.

Her steps were slow and careless, almost casual. Even her clothes were nothing special: a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a tee-shirt. She would have seemed normal, if it wasn't for the small knife she was tossing effortlessly up and down, up and down, in her right hand one minute and her left the next.

The man staggered away from her, slumping against the wall. "Please... I-- I didn't do anything..."

She chuckled, as though at a shared joke. "Of course not. It isn't your fault at all. I just don't like your shirt. It's enough."

"W-Who are you?" he whimpered, shrinking back.

She cocked her head. "Good question. I don't know. I can't remember my name. I won't ask for yours, as I don't really care." The girl took another few steps toward him, and abruptly stopped tossing the knife. "I think we'll make this quick, okay? I have a date with this really cute guy in half an hour, and I'm gonna need a shower after this." She moved closer and leaned down to whisper to him conspiratorially. "Did you know that spit gets blood out really well? Only your own spit, though. Bit of a trade secret, actually. I'll have to fish it out of your mouth myself after we're done. Yuck! Not looking forward to that."

Beast Boy gawked. "She's going to kill him!" he yelped, staring at the scene in front of him.

Memory shushed him, having clamped her eyes tightly shut and moved her hands to cover her ears.

"Let's see," the girl was saying, "first off, that awful shirt. Where'd you get that? Remind me to set fire to their stock. Oh, wait. Sorry, I forgot. You won't be able to remind me. How silly!" She gripped the front of his shirt tightly, raising her knife to slice it open. "Oops! Nicked you a bit. Sorry. I meant to do the live autopsy all at once. Well, no going back now! Let's start with... Well, why don't you pick one?"

The man merely stared at her in open shock. He didn't struggle; she had him pinned to the floor.

She pouted. "No suggestions? Okay. I'll choose then. How about... Ooh, the large intestine is one of my favorites. If you're still alive when it's removed, it squirms a little while you scream." Almost gracefully, she dipped the blade into his flesh and began to slice him open down the middle.

Blood gushed out of him, like water when you squeeze a sponge. It coated the girl's hands up to her elbows, and sprayed up across her face and torso. The changeling dodged back as a pool of it blossomed across the floor. The lunatic grasped something inside the man's gut, and began to slowly drag a long, slick _thing_ out of him. He cried out in pain, and then ceased, because sound hurt him. The silence was almost worse.

Had Beast Boy not already been quite an offensive shade of emerald, he would have become moreso at this grotesque sight. The girl removed the poor man's organs, one by one, carefully leaving them connected in all the proper places to keep him alive. He screamed and moaned, and thrashed so hard that she eventually chided him for his insolence and lashed his hands and feet together. It was then that she reached the heart.

Beast Boy heard Raven, who had been immobilized throughout by fear or exhaustion, give an anguished cry behind her gag. She was struggling, trying to reach her jailer and the tortured man.

"Well, this has been ever so much fun, really, and I've half a mind to stay here for more private-time with you rather than meet my date, but he's just SO cute, and I like him SO much. He's got this little flip to his hair, and gorgeous eyes. I'll just finish up this last bit and then go wash up. Thanks a mil' for the great time!"

Finally, emotions snapping within her, Raven's small body glowed black. Her manacles cracked and split, and she fell with a thud to the ground, sitting as limp as a rag doll. Now that she was closer, Beast Boy could see her condition more clearly. One of her wrists was broken, her fingers twisted at strange angles wherever there was a joint. One leg stuck out to the right, and a cut on her neck was bleeding profusely.

The homicidal girl in the center of the room stood and turned to her. "Tsk, the little bird got off her perch. Silly bird. Now I have to hurt you some more." She advanced on the still-gagged Raven, tossing her knife from hand to hand.

Lifting her horribly mutilated fingers to her mouth, Raven tore the duct tape away. She screamed in pain as her fingers were twisted even more freakishly around, but managed a cold glare in her captor's direction. She panted heavily, straining to stand and failing.

Fear flashed through the other girl's eyes.

"_Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"_

The girl's knife was plucked from the air in mid-toss, sliding effortlessly into the warm flesh of her neck.

Raven stood carefully, moving her small, broken figure over to where the young man lay. Carefully avoiding the still-connected innards strewn about the floor, she stared for a moment at his heart.

It had stopped beating.

An arm snatched Beast Boy from behind, and he turned to see a faint-looking Memory dragging him quickly away. The scene dissolved, and the hospital room reappeared.

"Enjoy your trip?" Knowledge asked, as Memory collapsed onto the bed.

"What was... How did... Why would... When..." Beast Boy was practically speechless.

"No questions just now. Only answers." Knowledge said, moving to Memory's side to pat her fellow Facet's shoulder. "Let's go to my office, no matter how boring. Memory's been through enough. I'll tell you everything there."

Knowledge led him back into the corridor, and through an unmarked door which led to a flight of descending stairs.

"Just a minute," Beast Boy muttered, pausing mid-step. "If Raven killed the girl, shouldn't that be the end of it?"

The yellow-robed Raven continued down as the stairs wound into a tight spiral. "That," she said softly, "I will tell you momentarily."

* * *

A/N: And now, Chapter 4 for Dummies! 

Beast Boy: I am drawn into a mirror!

Knowledge: I use big vocabulary to make me sound intelligent!

Love: I am blatantly obvious symbolism! Surely this is very subtle!

Hate: I act like a horribly cliche angry teenager! Argh!

Memory: I am very frightened by Raven's past.

Beast Boy: I will now be shocked and alarmed by my crush's trauma.

Victim: I DISEMBOWEL! SURELY YOU ARE VERY FRIGHTENED BY ME!

Knowledge: And now, the dramatic end! I am very mysterious, no?


	5. In which the plot twists

A/N: Well, it's that time again, and another chapter rolls around. I myself am currently very ill, so if I'm a little late next week try not to torch me. Due to the fact that so many people found it vastly amusing, I will be doing a Chapter for Dummies at the bottom. Enjoy.

* * *

The staircase wound on and on, and the fluorescent lights became torches on the walls. In the half-light, the only thing he could see clearly was Knowledge's billowing golden cloak as she descended in front of him, glasses glinting occasionally when she turned to note his progress. He turned his eyes to the stairs themselves, watching them flick by his feet. Step, step, step, step, down, down, down, down. Deeper and deeper into the encroaching darkness. 

Finally, he took another step and felt the floor wobble beneath him. Glancing down in alarm, he saw that this step was little more than three stacks of books lined up with the staircase. The next step was the same, and the one after that.

Knowledge continued to move along the teetering stairs easily, and Beast Boy quickly transformed into a pigeon to perch on her shoulder. She gave him a blank glance, but seemed to understand. On and on the stairs went, Titles flashing beneath them now rather than stones, and Beast Boy began to read them for lack of anything better to do.

_Moby Dick, Romeo and Juliet, Webster's Dictionary, The Encyclopedia Britanica_ (volume three). There seemed to be no order to them. At last, the walls of the staircase opened into the largest room Beast Boy had ever seen. This was not to say that they were once more on solid ground, however. The entire floor was coated with an ocean of books, perhaps hundreds of feet deep. Mountains of thick, heavy volumes towered over them, seeming ready to fall at any moment.

The entire room was filled with the smell one acquainted with learning: dust, paper, old leather, and ink. Knowledge inhaled contentedly, continuing to move toward the center of the room. Beast Boy crouched on her shoulder to take flight and explore, but she turned her head toward him. "There will be time for that later. Right now, we have much to discuss."

Resigning himself to the impending conversation, he settled once more. There was another set of stairs in the center of the room, leading up to a platform Beast Boy couldn't see the top of. Knowledge began to climb the rickety books once more, and silence pressed in around them. When they arrived at the crest of the staircase, Beast Boy took in the centerpiece of Knowledge's office. It was a small platform, barely big enough for what it held, which was a humble oak desk and a matching chair. Knowledge sat down in the chair, and summoned a stack of books from an adjacent pile for Beast Boy to sit on. He complied obediently, and the yellow-robed Raven adjusted her glasses in a business-like fashion.

"You have questions. I have answers. What is that term young people sometimes use? Ah, yes. Shoot."

Immediately, Beast Boy leaned forward and asked his first question. "How did Raven get into that dungeon in the first place?"

Knowledge sat back, eyes far-off. "Of course. That is a good question. A moment, if you please."

A portion of the desk glowed black, and a one-drawer filing cabinet rose from its surface. Knowledge shuffled through the files, mumbling incoherently to herself, before settling on one and pulling it out. "This is the file which contains the data you seek," she said, as the cabinet sank once more into the desk. "Let's take a peek."

Opening the manilla folder, she removed a sheaf of papers. "Here it is. Raven was following a lead given to her by a contact in the police department. She was fresh out of Azarath at the time, her powers limited, and knew that the best way to get started on the path to becoming a vigilante was to bring down a notable criminal. Her contact told her of a serial killer who had been popping up all over the city, and she became set on hunting down said killer. Someone reported seeing a young woman vanish repeatedly into a small patch of forest just outside of town, sometimes alone and sometimes in the company of varied others. They claimed that whenever they saw her leaving she was without escort.

"Raven went to the forest to investigate, but a trap had been laid for her. Apparently, two members of her informant's family were being held hostage by the girl, and he'd tipped her off in exchange for their freedom. Needless to say, she didn't grant it. Their bodies were never recovered.

"Having sprung the trap, Raven tried to escape via her powers. Unfortunately, they were weakened by her dimensional transfer. The girl realized that voice commands activated the powers, and gagged her. She stayed shackled to the wall for several days, the girl occasionally returning to break one or two of her captive's bones. When she returned with another victim and slowly disemboweled him before Raven's eyes, it was too much for her. Raven's emotions needed no vocal command, and freed her from her bonds. The rest, I think, you've already seen." The manilla folder vanished.

Beast Boy sat for a moment, letting the information sink in. When he had recovered from his initial shock, he asked his next question. "What does this have to do with Raven's illness?"

If Knowledge was capable of being sad, he knew she would have been now. When she spoke, her voice was low and even. "No matter how righteous one's intentions are, murder is murder. In defense of herself and another, Raven killed a human being. The result was a feeling of guilt. Raven is very special, Beast Boy. You know this better than anyone. Before she came to Earth, she was raised by Azarathian monks. She never did anything worthy of guilt, not once. Because of this, when she felt this emotion for the first time, she couldn't handle it. Her emotional capacity overloaded, and she was left weakened. A new Facet, Guilt, was born at that very instant in her head.

"Because Raven had been so weak and exhausted at the moment of Guilt's birth, she did not have the energy to acknowledge it properly. It was born in the backwaters of her consciousness, left to create itself however it saw fit. When someone feels guilty, they can only think about what has made them so. For Raven, that was the girl she had killed. When Guilt, still molding its shape, saw that image, it crafted itself to look like her.

"Here's where things get really complicated. Because the girl had been killed so recently, her soul was still hanging around her body. When it recognized something so familiar being created inside of Raven's head, it entered the Facet and took Guilt's place. It was still weak, however, and has been building strength ever since. Last night, it finally gained enough power to attack Raven's physical systems. Once it weakens her, it will find Raven in her own head and kill her, taking over her body to live out what it considers to have been an unfinished life."

This answer was even more alarming than the last, and Beast Boy took quite some time drinking it in. When he finally regained his composure, he asked his final question. "Who exactly was that girl?"

Now Knowledge smiled, though there was no joy in her eyes. "I have been waiting for you to ask that question. The truth is, no one knows. Not me, not Raven, not even the girl herself. Around here, we just call her the Victim. The one thing we do know is that before she became that nameless killer, she was someone else. Something drove her over the edge, causing even herself to forget. My theory is that if we can remind her of this, remind her of who she was before, she may revert. It's a vague chance, but it's all I can come up with.

"That," she said softly, "is why you're here. None of us can retrieve the Victim's memories from the Abyss where forgotten things go. It has to be a whole person. Raven is in no fit state to Bind us into one. You're our only chance. It's you who must save Raven, you who must find the one thing that could defeat the Victim: her name."

* * *

The Abyss was well-named. It stretched on as far as the eye could see, and was a mile wide at the edge. Below, pitch-blackness greeted the eyes. Faint sounds of running water could be heard from far, far below, but no river could be seen. 

Beast Boy and Knowledge stood in a landscape evanescent of the Grand Canyon after nightfall. Stars twinkled merrily in the sky, but the great silver moon failed to cast any light into the darkness below. If one were to pick up a stone from the floor in this strange environment, they would see that each pebble was painted all the way around with a moving picture. A memory. The effect gave the ground the appearance of a writhing nest of some unidentified but beautiful insect. They were in the dwelling place of Memory, inside of Raven's head. The Abyss was, as Knowledge had told him, the final resting place of forgotten things.

"When the Victim entered Raven's head," the gold-cloaked Raven lectured Beast Boy, "her essence melded with Raven's. Theoretically, her forgotten past should be down there along with the things that were down there before."

"So..." Beast Boy trailed off uncertainly, "Everything Raven ever forgot should be down there too?"

"Precisely. You don't have much time, Beast Boy. I can feel the Victim breaking down Raven's mind. She'll get to my office soon. I'll be waiting when you return. Be quick." Knowledge gestured toward the Abyss. "We're all counting on you."

Beast Boy nodded, and quickly took the form of a peregrine falcon. Rising above the Abyss, he folded in his wings and plummeted into the darkness below.

It seemed like forever he was diving through that darkness. It pressed in on him, trying to pinion his wings, to cripple him. He fought it for control, struggling against a foe he couldn't see. The sound of water grew slowly louder, and then it was suddenly an exploding rush of rapids. He broke free from the blackness, his wings exploding outward to fill with air, and he slowed to a slow, steady flapping.

The blackness was above him, blotting out his view of the sky. Below, the river wound on into the distance. It was far from being a clean river. Quite the contrary. It was filled with all manner of junk, things either Raven or the Victim had long forgotten. He quickly surmised that the only way to effectively search for anything was to enter the river himself. As if reading his mind, the rapids vanished. Now the river was slow and smooth, perfect for sloshing around in.

He landed, returning to his human form, and began his search. Each individual item he passed his eyes over was a scrap of strange, broken histories. A tire the Victim had changed, a cloak Raven had lost. Some of his finds were more disturbing: a dead pet, a severed head. In some places, the smell of perfume rose from the water. In others, it ran red with blood.

As he bent to inspect a soggy piece of paper, Beast Boy felt something brush past his ankle. He jumped, eyes darting to the water, to see something rising out of it. The thing was human-shaped, seven feet tall, and menacing. Red eyes glowed in a shadowy face, and Beast Boy, though terrified, tried desperately to recognize that face.

"You're not supposed to be here," a hissing whisper of a voice stated. He realized it was the shadow. "No one's supposed to be here. Who are you?" It's voice grew angry, outline shaking slightly.

"Uh," Beast Boy muttered, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm Beast Boy, and I'm here to find something. Who're you?"

"Prisoner number six-six-six. Get out. Leave NOW!" It raised an arm menacingly, eyes glowing with more ferocity than before.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Can't we talk this out?" he leapt backwards, stumbling over a lone boot. The guard swung an arm down at him in a deadly arc, and Beast Boy rolled through the water. This was not an optimal battle environment. The river slowed his movements, making everything he did sluggish and predictable. Quickly adjusting to his surroundings, Beast Boy took the shape of an alligator. He snapped viciously at the guard, but his teeth went straight through, closing on themselves painfully. Wincing, he whipped his tail at the imposing figure. No good.

The arm swung down again, fingers lengthening until they closed around the helpless changeling like bars of a cage. Snarling, Beast Boy writhed violently-- and rolled straight through the fingers. The guard was insubstantial! Now he understood! This wasn't really a person, it was the memory of one. All of the other objects were material because they were inanimate. It was harder to entirely forget a person. This man--or memory, whatever it was--was only half-forgotten.

Its fists slammed through him, causing no damage at all. The red eyes glared in frustration as the thing came at him again and again, plowing into his unresisting body until it realized the futility of its fight. Halting in the advance, it cocked its head at him. "This fight it pointless. Do not tarry long." With that, the half-thing walked resolutely away.

Staring after it, Beast Boy wondered if whatever that thing was had been entirely sane. Having decided to follow that particular train of thought on some later date, he turned his attention back to the piece of paper he had been about to investigate before he was so rudely interrupted.

He unfolded it carefully, so as not to rip it at the seams, and peered at the smudged ink. It was a diary entry, he realized. Most of the writing had run together, but he could make out some of it.

_Dear Diary,_

_It seems strange to...you now, when I cannot speak...drowning in my own words. No one else...suppose that's why I need you so much. I don't like my dolls as much as I used to, you know. I feel like they're mocking...there a reason, do you think? People...irritating every day. They incessantly scream in my ears...white noise sometimes...like parasites...understand my reasons for hating the...says I'm being silly. He's right. I...Sometimes, though, I can't help feeling like someone...laughing. I feel like they know what's happening to me. I feel like...the catalyst. I feel like I'm going insane._

_Sincerely,_

_Catherine_

Bingo.

* * *

A/N: And now, for those of you who didn't understand the above pages, your salvation has arrived.

Knowledge: Welcome to my office, which is most certainly not based on a dream the author had several months ago in which she was crushed by a falling mountain of books. Nooo. What could have ever made you think such a thing?

Beast Boy: Too true. Please answer my question which is in no way intended to easily explain what the author would otherwise have to spend hours weaving into the plot.

Knowledge: Of course! Raven, in an attempt to be a good samaritan, tried to get the bad guy. She got screwed over and was hideously tortured by a madwoman (wow, that wasn't really funny, was it?).

Beast Boy: Please explain in a long and tedious manner why the madwoman is in Raven's head. Surely the audience will be interested in this!

Knowledge: explains in a long and tedious manner why the madwoman is in Raven's head

Me: glancing at fanfic Hey, this made a lot more sense when I wrote it. Oh well, I'm sure most of the people reading this will have had a few years of advanced psychology classes, and without a doubt they will all be devout Buddhists. It should go over well.

Knowledge: I will now relate a plan which has a one-in-a-million chance of working, but of course it will succeed, because happy endings sell. And once again I end a scene dramatically!

Bingham the Magical Scene Divider: Wheee!

Beast Boy: SHORT AND POINTLESS QUEST! This is doubtless the time for a revelation about memories. Oh, look! Her name is Catherine!

Me: I have birthed an abomination. is beaten to death by angry Facets


	6. In which the unexpected occurs

A/N: Okies, one day late, but... well. I'm in a hurry, so no "For Dummies" today. Knock yourselves out, kiddies!

* * *

Contrary to what Beast Boy had assumed, flying upward through the blackness that hung over the Abyss was much easier than flying down. It felt only slightly more difficult than flying through regular air. When he reached the edge of the canyon once more, he landed easily and reverted to human. 

Glancing around for Knowledge, an uneasy feeling came over him. Hadn't she said she'd await his return? Where was she? Then he caught sight of something that made his heart drop into his stomach.

A pair of round, thick-lensed glasses lay shattered amongst the pebbles.

Beast Boy lifted Knowledge's mangled glasses delicately and stared down at them for a moment. What now? He didn't know where to find the Victim, and there weren't any Figments around to help him. Where had the yellow-robed Raven gone, anyway? Had the Victim found her?

Shaking these thoughts from his head, Beast Boy moved resolutely to the door through which he and Knowledge had originally entered. It was little more than a wooden frame sitting in the middle of the landscape, but through it he could see a white corridor, and the rest of the Inner-Workings beyond. Stepping through to this corridor, he made his way in the direction of the Mental Hospital. Empathy had seemed nice, maybe she would help him.

Doorways and flights of stairs were like lines on a highway. As Beast Boy passed entrance after entrance to strange and unknown territories, he sank into a half-stupor. Oddities became less distinct, and he no longer gave any thought to things which would have otherwise intrigued him. When he finally reached the Hospital, he was exhausted.

Wandering down the corridor of uniform white rooms, he came to the door with Memory's name on it. So far he had not run into Empathy, but he wondered if perhaps the hospitalized Facet might know where she was. When he entered the room she had previously inhabited, however, it was to find Memory gone and the bed unmade, as though she had left in a hurry. Further inspection revealed marks in the door frame where someone had dug in their fingernails to resist capture.

Beast Boy gulped. If the Victim had taken Memory, it was very possible she had found Empathy as well. She was obviously attempting to find and imprison (or worse) all of the Facets, most likely to weaken Raven herself. If she had succeeded in doing this during his venture to the Abyss, he was on his own. That wasn't a comforting thought. It was no use being afraid, he decided. He was going to do this no matter what. He'd just have to find the Victim himself.

Exiting the hospital room, he walked down the hall and turned left. The sight that greeted him was almost more horrifying than the darkness over the Abyss.

Everything in sight was coated thickly by purple, pink, red, and white hearts. Walls, ceiling, floor, and furniture was plastered with them, and they'd even crept onto the stems of plants and invaded the lampshades. In the center of the room, dining casually on a large heart-shaped sugar cookie, was Love.

Her ears pricked at his arrival, and she turned her head to gaze in his general direction. "Hello there! It's Beast Boy, isn't it?"

"How'd you know?" he asked, trying not to touch anything.

She shrugged happily. "Most of the others have been taken by the Victim."

Beast Boy gawked at this revelation. "Aren't you worried?"

"I can't worry," Love said with a contented sigh. "It's not in my programming. Oh!" she cried brightly, "I think that's her now."

There was no time for Beast Boy to react. One moment Love was sitting there nibbling that hideous cookie, the next a pair of pale hands were dragging her through the floor. She waved jauntily at Beast Boy before vanishing completely through the heart-covered carpet.

For a while he just stood there, staring open-mouthed at the place which the friendly Facet had so recently vacated. Then, turning on his heel, he marched back out of the room.

Great, he thought, stomping down the hall. I almost find someone who can help me, and then she's gone, just like that. It must be Wednesday. Stuff like this only happens on Wednesdays.

As he turned the next corner, he heard what sounded like something heavy toppling to the ground. The sound had emanated from the small, completely unmarked door to his right. Opening it cautiously, he peered inside.

Boxes were stacked in high piles all around, and it was one of these which had fallen. Someone yelped, and hissed "Go away!"

"Who's there?" Beast Boy asked, moving toward the voice.

Another yelp. "Nobody! Leave me alone!"

But Beast Boy thought he knew. Shoving aside a large box, he caught sight of a quivering Raven in a gray cloak. "Timid."

She stared up at him with wide eyes. "It's you!"

"Yeah," he said irritably, "It's me."

Timid wouldn't be any help. No matter how much he pitied her--being terrified twenty-four/seven would be awful--he knew she was a coward. Turning back to the door, he made to leave.

"Don't go!" Timid cried, getting to her feet and shuffling after him, "Don't leave me alone!"

Beast Boy glared at her, and she shrank back. "I have to save Raven. She's my friend. Stay here. You'll have a better chance of not being found anyway." Again, he turned to the door.

"I know what you're looking for."

That stopped him in his tracks. Moving slowly to face her, he saw that her head was bowed. The gray hood obscured her face, and the cloak made her posture impossible to read. "You do?"

"You're trying to find the Victim. You're going to fight her somehow."

"Yeah," he replied carefully, "What about it?"

"I'm a coward, Beast Boy, not an idiot. If the Victim wins, I'll be destroyed with Raven. If you can't fight her, all of us will die. I know where she is. I have to help you to save myself. That's what cowards do--they save themselves."

He stared. Staring was becoming a habit for him, now that there were so many things to stare at. He had only met Timid once before, but he knew this was definitely out of character. Getting over his initial shock, he spoke. "So, you'll help me find her?"

Nodding, Timid drifted past him and out of the room. "Follow me."


	7. In which good triumphs over evil

A/N: Yeah, I'm a day late again. Oh well, it's the Holidays, give me a break. So, uh... Here it is, the last real chapter. Next week I'm posting the Epilogue, so sit tight.

* * *

They made their way in silence through a maze of corridors, and Beast Boy was reminded painfully of the events following his first intrusion on Raven's privacy. Admittedly this was a rescue mission, but there was something taboo about entering someone's mind without their permission. 

"You think she'll be angry with you."

Beast Boy was so surprised by Timid's words that he jumped slightly. "What?"

"She won't be, you know. She gave you her consent." The Facet continued to make her way through the halls, not once looking back at him.

"I... How?" he asked, cocking his head to one side out of canine habit.

A brief glance over her shoulder told him she had heard. "Through us. We are facets of her personality, remember, not figments of her imagination. Figments are much more dangerous, but she has very few these days."

"Are we getting close?" he asked, eager to get off the subject of what other deadly things could be lurking in the dusty corners of Raven's mind.

"Yes."

A while longer they walked in silence, before they came to a door. It was simple and white, like so many of the others they had passed.

"This," Timid said softly, "Is where I leave you. You will find the Victim through this door." Without another word the gray robed Facet vanished in the opposite direction.

Hand shaking, Beast Boy slowly opened the door. The sight that greeted him was a long set of stairs. They weren't spiral like those leading down to Knowledge's office, but narrow and straight. They seemed to be constructed of stones and rotting wood, and Beast Boy winced at the thought of having to descend them.

First one foot, then the other crossed the threshold. Soon enough he was making his slow way down the stairs, guiding himself carefully by the light emanating from the still-open door.

Then it slammed shut.

Beast Boy froze. "Timid?" he called, but there was no reply. The stairs merely echoed with the sound of his own voice. "Hello?" he said, his tone quiet and cautious.

The echo came softly. "Hello... Hello... Hello... Hello... Hello, Beast Boy."

The last three words came from somewhere directly behind him, and he followed his animal instinct to run. He shot down the stairs, shifting forms constantly as he stumbled and tripped. Blind panic clutched his chest like an iron talon, digging its long nails into his heart. Maniacal laughter reverberated on the stairs. Soon enough the ground leveled out, and the sudden transition sent him flying across the room to land face-first against the ice-cold floor.

Beast Boy whimpered, curling up for a brief moment to ease his bruised ribs. He shot up, however, when he fathomed where he was. It was the Victim's dungeon.

Chained to the walls were each of the Facets, cloaks seeming to be a uniform black in the halflight. Some struggled, others simply hung there. He heard Happy and Love singing songs he distantly remembered from a musical. Finally his eyes fell on one last pair of shackles, these ones empty.

They hadn't caught Timid.

Somehow this thought filled him with confidence, and he turned to face the stairs. The confidence he had so recently gained vanished, however, as the Facet in question was thrown through the door to sprawl on the ground at his side. He knelt to examine her for injury, and found her shaking.

"Timid?" he inquired gently.

"Sh-sh-she..." Timid pointed at the door, crawling backwards as quickly as she could.

Beast Boy stood to face what he knew must be there, and was not disappointed. There stood the Victim, the same rust-colored eyes peering curiously at him from behind the curtain of mussed black hair.

"I see you've found me then, my little emerald. Well done. Rest assured that your lovely lady-friend will be rewarded for making my job that much easier, but for now I'm afraid I must cut the pleasantries." She moved toward him so quickly he could still see her after-image hanging in the air where she had just been. A gag came crashing down between his teeth and a rope twined itself around his hands, rendering him mute and helpless. He was thrown against the wall of the dungeon, gasping for air through his gag.

An instant later Timid was being shackled to the wall with her companions. She sobbed fearfully, but was soon quieted as the Victim took her place in the center of the room. A placid smile made its way across her face, and she chuckled. "Isn't this fun? It'll be just like a slumber party! Except you'll be the only ones sleeping, and I don't have enough sleeping bags for everybody. Oh well! Who do I start with?"

She made her way slowly around the room and stopped in front of Beast Boy. "You're kind of the odd-one-out, aren't you? I'll get rid of you first. That way the rest will all match!" The Victim's thin hands wrapped around the collar of his shirt and lifted him into the air.

Desperately, Beast Boy transformed into a hulking tyrannosaurus rex and bit the gag efficiently in two. The Victim jumped back deftly. "No fair!" she cried, tossing her head and pouting. "If you're going to use your powers that way, we'll just have to take them away from you!" A snap of her fingers and he was a boy once more.

Shocked, Beast Boy muttered "What... How did you...?"

The cheerful smile lit the Victim's face once more. "Raven is getting weaker, little emerald. After I kill these silly creatures she'll be all mine." She snapped again, and the dungeon became a blank white nothingness. "You," she said, "Are the Facets' final hope. Their only champion. This will be our battlefield, little emerald. I will defeat you here, in the purity of Raven's serene heart. This is the place where she will feel you die, and it will be more terrible than a thousand of my daggers. By the time I finally kill her she will be all too eager to join you."

The green changeling opened his mouth to make a retort, but found that he couldn't speak. The Victim advanced on him. "Being the kind and generous person that I am, I will give you one final gift before your demise. At whose hands would you prefer to die?" Her form became blurry, then clear again. Before him stood Starfire, smiling graciously. "The gentle one? The one who takes care of you and your friends in times of need?" Now Starfire was replaced by Cyborg. "Perhaps you would prefer to die in the arms of your best friend." A blur. Terra gazed spitefully at him with eyes blue as twin lakes. "There's also the woman who rejected you, the dazzling young lady who threw you away like the filthy rag that you are." There was another blur, and then it was Robin who stood before him. "Then again, it just might be the leader, the boy who you have always envied beyond reason. It would give you a cause to hate him, the one who has the looks, the women, the talent... Or maybe..." Now Raven stood in Robin's place, smiling happily the way he knew she never would, arms extended to embrace him. "Maybe it's her, Beast Boy... The one you have always loved... The one who could never love you... The one who hates you for everything you are..."

She twined her arms around him, and he couldn't bring himself to remove her. She breathed against his neck, moved her lips to his ear, and whispered, "I can kill you now, Beast Boy. I can kill you now as you stand in the arms of a woman who otherwise would never look your way. You would go to the grave with the feeling of her hands on your back, her lips on your lips..." Raven pressed her mouth over his, and he accepted it.

He fought with himself, half of him longing to die here and now so that this would be his final memory, the other half screaming that this was wrong. But no, the first half argued, How could it be wrong? Raven loved him, she was kissing him, she wanted him! Then he realized something.

Her lips were soft.

Beast Boy had observed Raven's lips as though it were a religion. He had watched their movement, memorized their texture. Raven's lips were not soft. Raven's lips were chapped from hours spent breathing rhythmically in meditation. Her lips were course and dry and imperfect, and these were soft and round and moist. This was not Raven.

He reeled back, shoving himself away from the Victim, and she opened her mouth in shock. He felt whatever spell she had worked to mute him collapse, and he took advantage immediately.

"Do you know who I am, Victim?" he asked, snarling furiously.

The Victim took a step back. "You are Beast Boy," she spat, "A changeling, a weak little nobody whose own parents made him a freak. An ugly, short, discolored child who found his only solace in friends who accepted him because they, too, were freaks."

But Beast Boy had the upper hand now, and he would not let her win it back. "No. I am Beast Boy, a changeling, a boy whose parents knew so much about genetics that when he got sick they not only cured him, they improved him. A happy, strong, life-loving boy whose friends accept and admire him for who he is, and who in turn admires them for who they are. Now, Victim, do you know who you are?"

She took another step back, looking unsure of herself. "... No..."

He advanced mercilessly, his words cutting the atmosphere around them like one of the Victim's daggers. "You are a lost little girl, alone and afraid, without a soul to turn to. You are an abandoned child whose only company lies in those she dismembers or disembowels. You are the daughter of parents who did not understand you, just like the rest of us. You are not above anyone, you are not below anyone. You have suffered, as have we all. You have inflicted pain, as have we all. You are my equal. You are Catherine."

Catherine froze. Her eyes were wide and terrified, her hands clutching her chest. Her expression was one of pure horror and misery, and slowly began to change. The lips drew back in a grimace, the brow drew down in a glare. Fear turned to fury, and for a moment Beast Boy thought that the plan hadn't worked. Then, slowly, excruciatingly, fury turned to pain. Catherine doubled over, retching violently on the floor. Blood splattered from between her lips, spraying across the ground in all directions, soaking Beast Boy's shoes. With the blood came wrinkled pieces of paper, each bearing a name. The names, the changeling soon realized, of her own victims. She was purifying herself.

Deftly, carefully, he came to stand beside her. For several moments she continued to rid herself of the names, and he placed a hand cautiously on her back. Finally she ceased, and turned to look up at him. It was Raven's face he saw, gazing apologetically into his eyes. Her cloak was a pale green, far paler than Courage's.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered, "It's all my fault..."

Guilt. This was Guilt, the Facet Raven had neglected. The Facet who had become the Victim. "Not at all," he said, "Though I doubt that'll help you."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, "No. It's my fault."

Beast Boy was quite suddenly bowled over by a flying pink projectile. He was knocked backwards several feet and fell flat on his back, a buzzing Happy sitting precariously on his chest. "Hiya, BB! I knew you could do it! We were in quite a jam back there. Timid got all mopey, but I said 'Hey, cheer up, BB'll take care of it!' And you did!"

Staggering to his feet, Beast Boy took in the sight around him. Several Facets were helping Guilt to get her bearings while others just milled about. Many of the positive Facets were celebrating loudly with each other. He hunted out Knowledge in the sea of cloaks and found her straightening a new pair of glasses on the bridge of her nose.

"Hey," he said.

She looked up stiffly, then replied, "Oh, hello again. Congratulations. It seems you've saved us all. An absolute miracle, mind, and against all previous calculations and any discernible logic, but you've done it. You'll go down in my records and Memory's stones, you know."

Beast Boy smiled. "That's all well and good, but can I go home?"

"Certainly. Is there anyone you'd like to talk to before you go?" The question was asked knowingly, as though she was already aware that there would be.

He located Love easily. She was trying to convince Hate to dance with her, wobbling about comically in her sightless state. Distracted from her earlier activity, however, she was all to willing to speak with him.

"What is it you want to know, Sweetling?" she asked pleasantly.

Beast Boy fidgeted. Was there any easy way to ask the question he was about to pose? "I... Well..." Oh, to hell with it. "Does Raven like me? Like, like me like me?"

Love grinned at a spot just over his left shoulder. "I'm only a piece of the whole," she said, "Even if I liked you, once my emotion is processed through the others it might come out differently. It's all relative. Ask Knowledge about the system sometime." Then she winked a sightless eye and tapped the tip of her nose conspiratorially. "I'll let you in on a little secret, though; you've got a fighting chance." And she waltzed off into the crowd, just like that.

Knowledge appeared at his shoulder. "Ready now?"

He nodded.

* * *

A/N: Yup. Wow. Uh-huh. Hope you liked it. Remember, Epilogue next week. 


	8. Epilogue

A/N: Well, it finally comes time to bid this fic a fond goodbye. It was fun to write, and what more can we ask of our work? I hope you enjoyed it, and also hope that this last offering meets your expectations.

* * *

When Beast Boy returned through the mirror Raven was just waking up. He made his way over to her bedside as her eyes fluttered open, and he smiled gently at her. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty, it's a bright new day!" 

Raven blinked blearily at him. "You..."

He nodded.

She gaped. "And..."

Another nod.

Raven's expression was nothing less than shocked. "All by yourself?"

This time he shook his head in the negative. "I had help. Memory showed me what happened, Knowledge explained my course of action, and Timid led me to the dungeon."

The purple-haired girl sank back into her pillows. "I'm so, so sorry I put you through all this..."

Beast Boy laughed aloud, and her head jerked up. "What?" she snapped.

"Nothing," he replied, still chuckling lightly, "Apology accepted."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "They didn't tell you anything embarrassing about me, did they?"

"No," he replied.

She heaved a sigh, deadpanning, "You probably know more about me than I do now."

He shook his head. "I'm sure I don't. Even so, I'm fine with what I do know."

"Why's that?" she asked curiously.

"Life's no fun without surprises." And with that, he slipped a hand around the back of her neck and kissed her. It was short and chaste, and when he drew back she was gazing at him with a strange look in her eyes. "That bad?" he asked, suddenly worried.

Raven laughed outright, ignoring the distant sound of something relatively valuable exploding into dust. "You're kidding, right?"

Beast Boy chucked in surprise, cocking his head happily. "No. I assure you that, for once, I am perfectly serious."

"Well then," she said, playing gently with his hair, "Let me be perfectly serious in saying that it wasn't bad at all."

"I love you, Raven."

It was out before he could stop it, and he immediately gritted his teeth in frustration. He didn't want to scare her away. But she just smiled again.

"I love you too." She pulled him down to her and he reveled in the course, dry feeling of her lips on his.

Downstairs the other Titans were returning from their treks out into the city, all empty-handed. Robin entered the room just in time to dodge the falling shards of a broken light bulb.

"Something must be bothering Raven," he said, and the three of them were off like shots. Starfire made it to Raven's door first, and peered around the frame into the room carefully.

She drew back, smiling gently to herself.

"What is it? What's going on?" Robin was practically twitching in impatience and irritation.

Starfire shook her head, taking his arm and leading him away from the door. "You would not understand. Suffice it to say that Raven is fine. More than fine. I think she is better than she has been in a long, long time."

Behind them, Cyborg glanced into the room covertly. He made his way back to the common room, grinning. Robin could have sworn he heard the half-man mutter "Go BB," under his breath, but it was probably just his imagination.

* * *

_You have a lot to learn, child._

_There's much that you don't know._

_You have much land to travel,_

_And many seeds to sow._

_But now as you return_

_From your journey, long and hard,_

_You've gained a mind beyond your years,_

_And with it, gained my heart._

_-Vixie (yay me) _

* * *

A/N: May fate guide your actions straight, true, and just; may you live not in fear, but in compassion and joy; may ink ever flow from your pen; may the river of your imagination run free and uninterrupted. May peace live in your heart, and may good fortune befall you and those around you. 

Let love be your shield, and reason your sword.


End file.
